


Cocaine Blues

by hotchocolateaddict



Series: The Hon. Mrs Phryne Freeman [2]
Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M, M/M, Married Miss fisher, Multi, Open Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23576728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotchocolateaddict/pseuds/hotchocolateaddict
Summary: Having just arrived back in Melbourne Phryne Freeman and her childhood sweetheart husband must adapt to their new lives in Australia all while trying to solve a murder, track down a back alley abortionist and a cocaine dealer.This is the first episode of Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries cocaine Blues but if she was married to Victor Freeman.
Relationships: Phryne Fisher/Vic Freeman
Series: The Hon. Mrs Phryne Freeman [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1694368
Kudos: 7





	Cocaine Blues

**Author's Note:**

> Mainly follows the plot of the show with some direct quotes taken.

Walking off the ship hand in hand with her husband, Phryne Freeman was glad to see Melbourne again. The 3-month journey was entirely too long to be cooped up on a ship; particularly for her husband Victor. Who had been shot down during the war and struggled being inside for long periods, as a result, he prefered the countryside. It was a statement to his love for Phryne that he was planning on staying to help her seek justice rather than immediately heading to their sheep station in the country for a few weeks. 

The couple's old friend Dr Mac had been kind enough to meet them at the docks with a friendly face and a car although she was clearly confused when Phryne said they were staying at the Hotel Windsor instead of one of their Melbourne homes. Staying at a hotel less than 10 minutes from their own home was eccentric even for them. However, like the good friend she was, Mac didn’t ask any difficult questions until they were settled into their rooms with a drink in hand.

“So what are your intentions, now that you have had 3 months to ponder on it?” Mac asked the couple that was closely entwined on the sofa.

“I intend to leave my parents as far behind as possible,” Phryne said with a big smile on her face snuggling up to her husband's side.  
“Well, you’ve certainly done that next?” Mac said  
“It gives me an opportunity to do something new, and get re-introduced to the city we grew up in,” Phryne said, trying to ignore what Mac was actually getting at.   
“We both know why and it won’t bring Janey back.” Mac had just a hint of pity in her voice.

“But I can stop him from doing it again. Premiere Hogan is a regular guest at this establishment.” Phryne said leaving her husband's side to join Mac by the window. 

“Straight to the top then.”  
Mac looked at her with a mixture of pity and exasperation, something that drove Phryne batty. When it looked like Mac was going to bring it up again Victor stepped in. Because What are husbands for, if not for getting you out of annoying situations. 

“the cold in England was getting to me. It made my joints even stiffer and anyway it was hardly our intention to live in Europe forever. We had always planned on coming home and since no one has lived in them for years they will need to be tidied up a bit” Victor said calmly

“At least one of you is rational,” Mac said with a smirk on her face. There was a knock on the door before the conversation could progress further and Victor went to answer the door. 

“It’s for you Phryne.” He said, handing his wife the letter with a quick peck on the cheek. 

“It’s an invitation for a luncheon with Lydia Andrews, and Aunt Prudence.” Her voice made it clear that she thought that the latter was at the very least an annoyance. 

“It’s a shame that I have to perform an urgent bowel operation,” Mac stated dryly 

“And I should really get sorted on our urgent staffing problem,” Victor said with a half-smile. 

Phryne changed out of her travelling clothes and into a pretty pink dress perfect for lunch with an old friend. She looked perfectly fashionable as she travelled up to the gaudy manor house awaiting what she expected to be a very boring lunch with Lydia and Prudence. That was until she saw the ambulance and was greeted by a distraught and crying maid who tried to shoo her away. Phryne had seen a lot of dead bodies in her rather short life, and while it got easier to cope it was always saddening. 

Entering the house she was greeted by Lydia who was devastated by the death of her husband who had passed away in what at least the police believed to be suspicious circumstances. After Lydia went to get tea for some reason still trying to be a good hostess Phryne was sent to sit with her Aunt Prudence, who was being a pain as always. Looking down her nose at the Phryne as if she was still just a young girl covered in dirt. 

“Phryne dear, I can hardly recognise the girl in you, apart from the length of your skirt. I thought as a married woman, Victor would have made you a little more lady-like.” Starting a conversation with an insult was so typical of Prudence that it didn’t even phase Phryne anymore.

“What would ever give you that idea Prudence.” Phryne quipped. She knew that many believed she and Victor would change after marriage and become more conventional, despite all of the evidence to the contrary. She and Victor never wanted a dull society life, boxed into rigid rules, they enjoyed breaking all of them, be that by mixing with the wrong company or by skipping events to relax and rest away from it all. Prudence would never understand the idea that rules and expectations weren’t carved in stone. 

Lydia came in before Prudence could make much of a fuss of her response. The woman looked sickly and instead of seeing a doctor, she was busy getting questioned by the police. In Phryne’s opinion, the best comfort was knowledge, so she quizzed the biggest gossip of the lot, Prudence.   
“So what on earth happened?” she asked her aunt  
“Well you know I’m not one to pry,” the gossipy women started “but I couldn’t help overhearing in the hallway that John collapsed suddenly after a light breakfast of tea and marmalade toast and the maid found him purple in the face and cold to the touch on the bathroom floor.”   
“The police obviously think that his death had a helping hand,” Phryne responded partially to herself as Prudence gave an absolutely gasped face but was prevented from responding by the reappearance of Lydia.   
“The inspector would like all visitors to leave so that he can question the household.” Lydia sighed out and so Phryne and prudence picked up their things. 

This would not do; she needed to know what was going on and she was very good at snooping, in the hallway there was a police officer on the stairs. Timing her run for when the constable was distracted by the maid she was halfway up the stairs before he caught and the poor boy had no idea how to handle a poor lady in need of the bathroom. He must have been new as he left her alone completely able to go straight into the crime scene as he went to check with his boss on what to do. 

The bathroom was much like any other bathroom in the manors that littered Melbourne and she had been to many seemingly identical ones throughout her childhood. Of course, none of them had held a crudely drawn body outline and if any had the suspicious pink powder packets she had been too young and naive to notice. The inspector, however, did not give her much time to snoop before he was knocking on the door and unlike the young constable he was not falling for her but I really needed the loo routine. 

“This is the scene of a crime,” he said sternly he had a strong jawline and an all-around handsome look about him,   
“Lucky for you I’m wearing gloves, Mrs Phryne Freeman,” she said, removing her gloves to shake his hand which he took cautiously.   
“I assume you weren’t close to the deceased?” He said with raised eyebrows and a judgmental look.  
“No, I never had the pleasure, but by all accounts he was charming; Do you think it was poison,” she said looking at the young constable.   
“Yes” the eager boy started before being cut off by his boss  
“We have yet to determine the cause of death, and while I appreciate your curiosity for crime, please-”. She cut him off  
“Given the lack of bloodstains, I assume it wasn’t a violent death unless it was strangulation but given the fetal position of the body that indicates a degree of pain rather than the flailing limbs you expect to see with a struggle, and then, of course, there is the fact that death occurred after breakfast according to Mrs Andrews which hints at something digested,” Phryne told the two men imparting her wisdom to the shocked if somewhat annoyed inspector and the sweet and eager young constable who was diligently writing notes on what she said. The inspector smirked and gestured towards the door for her. “Is there a chance you have a card, in case I need to call a policeman,” she said sweetly thinking she had already pushed it for a married woman and she really didn’t need a reputation this quickly. The Inspector dutifully handed over his card and waited until she was out of earshot before he said anything else. 

Phryne walked down the stairs and immediately saw the world's most suspicious maid literally standing in front of the phone refusing to answer it and waiting till the caller stopped calling. To be fair the girl had obviously had a rough day starting the day by finding her employer's dead body couldn’t have been nice but Phryne still couldn’t understand why this would stop her from answering the phone. Prudence was apparently still around harassing poor Lydia about the funeral, admittedly she was the same when her own husband Edward had died so maybe she was assuming that it was every widow’s coping method. 

That's when all of a sudden Phryne saw a familiar face, Sasha. A dancer that she and Victor had met in Paris had quickly joined them in their bed, the couple had enjoyed his company and his exquisite dancing. His sister was a lovely young girl whom Phryne had also grown quite fond of; she had been struggling with her life's new upheaval and Phryne hoped that she might finally be settling. He kissed Lydia's cheeks before giving Phryne a slight smile before Prudence gave a short humph.   
“I am so sorry Prudence, my manners have escaped me,” he said leaning down to kiss her hand.   
“That’s quite alright, we are all quite distraught. May I introduce to my niece the honourable Mrs Phryne Freeman.” Prudence said.   
“We have already had the pleasure of meeting,” he said bowing to kiss Phryne's hand and giving her the most clearly lustful look when he thought the other two women couldn't see.   
“It is a pleasure to see you again Sasha,” Phryne said straight-faced knowing that prudence was looking right at her.   
“Oh lord the soiree.” Prudence sighed and it was the first time that Phryne had said the lord's name in vain. She turned to Phryne “Lydia was going to host a ball tonight for the Victoria women's hospital and Sasha was set to dance for us. Everything will have to be cancelled, but of course, the hospital committee is absolutely relying on it.” Prudence said fearfully.   
“Tell them that Lydia has just been widowed,” Phryne bit out exasperated at her aunt's lack of tact.   
“If only she wasn’t so good at raising thousands of pounds, and goodness how we will contact the guest list in time,” Prudence explained   
“Her guests will understand” Phryne responded biting her tongue   
“No” Lydia piped up for the first time since she had walked into the foyer and looked as haggard and sick as one can while still breathing.“John would want us to go ahead with it.”  
“I know,” Prudence gleefully smiled “Phryne and I will host the entire thing on your behalf, won’t we Phryne.” dear lord she could strangle her aunt. 

It had been a very long day by the time that Phryne finally got back to her hotel room and changed out of her dress. It felt dirty from just sitting near Foyle. She was just about to undo it when Victor came in from the other room and offered to do it for her. He kissed her neck after slipping off her dress and slowly removing her jewellery before wrapping her in her favourite silk dressing gown. Before leading her to a chaise lounge where she gracefully fell into his lap. 

“Did you end up visiting Foyle?” he was obviously concerned. 

“Yes,” Phryne said her mind going back to that miserable prison “it wasn’t as illuminating as I hoped but at least I got to tell him that I was why he was going to rot in that jail till the day he dies.” The anger in her voice may have fooled some but Victor knew her too well to not instantly know that it was pure pain.   
“Did it make you feel any better?” he said with a knowing smile and a knowing glint in his eyes.   
“A little, not as much as I hoped, but I wanted him to know why he was there.” Phryne leaned into her husband further she had known deep down this visit would only cause her more pain but she had to do it anyway.  
“I’m here if you need anything, you know that.” His arm wrapped around her keeping her close to his chest, Phryne adored the way that he could make her feel safe and secure with such a simple gesture.

“I know Victor, you’ve always been there for me.” leaning up to kiss his cheek. “So what did you get up today, anything interesting.” The change of subject was obvious and sloppy but Victor went along with it in hopes that Phryne would bring the topic back up when she was able to deal with it.   
“both of the houses are alright, I’ve arranged some people to clean them up and I’ve put in a request for some staff we should be able to move in by the end of the week. What about you did you do anything else today, how was the luncheon with Prudence?” Victor inquired 

“Ohh Victor it’s terrible,” Phryne said snuggling further into her husband's arms “Lydia’s husband John died right before I arrived and the police suspect foul play, if I was betting I would put it on poison and Lydia is also clearly suffering from the same, and she is so terrible about seeking help. Then of course to make it even worse she is meant to be hosting a ball tonight and because Prudence is still the same old bat as ever she is insisting that it goes ahead and that I help host. Don’t worry I didn’t say anything about you coming, you should rest after the journey.” Phryne turned to her husband.

“Phryne I am not going to let you go into this alone, there is a murderer on the loose that I know you are trying to find and you will be going crazy trying to get the information of the blokes. And if someone isn’t there to stand between you and Prudence I have no doubt that you will kill her and the police don’t need another killer on the loose.” Victor told her teasingly tickling her sides so that she squirmed in delight in his lap.   
“I love you Victor,” Phryne said with a kiss.   
“I love you too Phryne.” He responded staring into her eyes before prodding her to continue.  
”You will never believe who I bumped into, though-”  
“Who?”   
“Sasha,” she said wiggling her eyebrows  
“Paris Sasha, with the hips” Victor questioned  
“One and the same, he will be at the ball tonight and I thought that we might invite him back for the night.” Phryne simpered waiting for her husband's nod in response. “Anyway after the police kicked me out of Lydia’s I went to see Mac and came across a young woman who nearly died, because a man called butcher George said he would take away her troubles. The police can't even do anything about it because if she said something then she would get 10 years in jail.” Phryne’s anger and passion were clear in her tone. She had long been an advocate of family planning being available to all women even if he suspected she was trying to find a new outlet for her emotions.   
“Then it turns out that this woman is Lydia's old maid and had just left, the poor girl has had such bad luck and has no one to turn to for help. ”  
“You sound like you want to do something about it.” Victor knowingly smirked  
“I do. Mac thinks I'm trying to save the world.” Phryne admitted looking at his reflection in the mirror on the wall in front of them.   
“You've always been trying to save the world Phryne, it's part of why I love you,” Victor said before sealing with a kiss. “Now when are we going to this ball?”  
“In about an hour I’m sorry my love, it is all rather quick,” she said.   
“Well, we better start getting ready then.” He said with a smile and lifted his wife up and carried her over to the shower. The couple often dressed together; it was an intimate act that was filled with practicality.

Typically some of the dresses that Phryne brought were designed for a maid to help assist a girl into and Victor often needed a hand getting dressed. He had learned a lot since he was first injured but he still couldn’t tie a bow tie and struggled getting his arm into anything that was too tight. By the time that they were ready to head to the Andrew’s they had already formulated a plan on how to get the most information possible and agreed that for the first couple of nights they wouldn’t cause too much of a stir. This was Phryne’s idea but she was always frustrated by the barriers and expectations placed on married women that she was sure she would be pulling her hair out by the end of the night. 

Entering the Andrew's house Phryne was greeted by a dishevelled looking maid, hosting the event meant that they had to be earlier than she would typically like to be. As the guest trickled in Victor stayed by her side, this was the exact kind of event that they would typically jump through hoops to avoid. However a murder investigation did make the event a little more interesting, and as soon as it was socially acceptable the couple went their separate ways in a well practised investigation technique. Victor went over to talk to the gents that were standing in the corner to gather a more realistic discussion of Andrew than his besotted wife would provide. Meanwhile, Phryne went upstairs to talk to Lydia. 

Phryne took with her a bottle of bubbles and found a recovering Lydia Andrews lying on her bed looking rather bored. She knew that she needed to find out about Lydia’s previous maid Alice, a servant leaving so soon before a murder was always suspicious. Lydia's lips, however, were sealed claiming the girl had been stealing which made no sense considering that she had received such a glowing recommendation. Nor did explain why Lydia had not informed the police and didn’t seem to want the girl questioned. Realising that she had gathered about as much as she could from Lydia she went back downstairs to the party and to her least favourite part of the plan talking to Prudence. 

As expected the problem with going to Aunt Prudence was that most of the information was mundane (an upholsterer really). However, at least she found out about the Turkish bath palace and got introduced to her new suspect in the form of madame Bradae, although she seemed almost too suspicious to be true. She hoped Victor was doing better. As Madame Bradda tried to bring suspicion onto Sasha Phryne took the opportunity to go over to Victor who had separated himself from the men and was waiting for Phryne and the couple walked on to the dance floor, a perfect place for a private conversation. 

“What did the men say?” Phryne asked with her lips close to her husband's ear as they swayed on the dance floor.   
“He was a filander to the extreme and his wife didn’t appreciate it, they all mentioned that his multiple mistresses would be more upset than her and questioned whether Lydia was facking her grief,” Victor responded quickly leading Phryne in a graceful turn.   
“Interesting, Lydia is lying about the maid she claims that she was fired for stealing silverware.”  
“But if that was the case why would she give such a glowing reference, although it might make sense. Jonathan Michaels said that he thought the reason the maid was so distressed was that she might be one of his paramours. I wouldn’t be shocked if that was the case with Alice, nor if their interactions weren’t entirely willing.”  
“It would explain more than just why she left her job,” Phryne whispered with pursed lips.   
“If you want another motive however he was apparently an idiot with no idea of money. He fell for every scam and yet somehow still stayed afloat and it didn’t sound like he had any debtors.” Victor finished, and it was certainly an interesting place to look for suspects.  
“It certainly makes more sense than Madame Brada’s suggestion that Sasha did so that he could have Lydia to himself” Phryne smirked.   
“Not only would it be completely out of character for him but he seemed rather interested in coming home with us tonight when I spoke with him,” Victor chuckled. 

A tango beat came on and he winked at his wife, they had always loved Tango, the two of them had learnt from a gigolo in Paris after the war. As one of the only dances that Victor learned after his injury, it felt less clumsy as he and Phryne had learnt every step with the disability in mind. He never accidentally went to dip her onto his bad arm and muscle memory never made her step into it; they instead gracefully moved around the room in a passionate embrace that was watched by many on the dance floor. This was exactly the re-introduction to society that the couple wanted and there was a small round of applause as the couple walked to the side of the room just in time for the maid to usher Phryne and Aunt Prudence into the foyer where the police were waiting for them. 

Lydia Andrews came downstairs to the handsome inspector Robison and the young constable from earlier, standing with serious faces.   
“We have been trying to contact you for a few hours now Mrs Andrews, but your phones haven’t been working”- the inspector said looking at the poor dishevelled maid -“we got the results from your husbands autopsy back and he was poisoned.”   
“Poisoned,” the three women said in unison.  
“The coroner found traces of arsenic and you appear to have the symptoms of a milder dose.”  
“Do you know where it came from?” Phryne asked  
“The sugar bowl with your breakfast tray was laced with rat poison.”  
“John always took so much sugar in his tea,” Lydia said   
“We were informed your housemaid makes the breakfast tray.” the poor girl was escorted by the constable alongside them.- “So we will need to ask Miss Williams some questions down at the station.”   
“You can’t seriously believe that you suspect this poor young girl of murder.'' The girl might have a quirk about the telephone but she would eat her hat if she was a killer.   
“No, I was studiously trying to avoid that term,” Jack said.   
“If you end up in any legal trouble I know a clever woman who can help,” Phryne said to the girl handing her a card with all of her details before the poor girl followed the two men into the back of a police car and Phryne had to go back into the ballroom to talk to Victor. 

Thankfully the party didn’t last too long as more and more guests started to empty out into the night soon leaving just herself, Victor Sasha and Aunt Prudence. Making it easier for the threesome to sneak away together. 

“Ohh Sasha,” Phryne said, giving him a quick kiss on the lips and Victor sat down next to him on a sofa in the now-empty lounge. “I have missed you, how have you been? Are you going to be able to join us tonight?” He froze suddenly and looked down.   
“I finally got a meeting to buy some cocaine from the king of snow tonight and I need to meet him. He's the one who killed my sister.”  
“You're going to buy cocaine to avenge your sister?” Victor questioned with a furrowed brow.   
“To find out who he is so that I can catch him,” Sasha explained and the couple looked at each other.   
“I more than understand the desire to punish your sister's killer and will help you in any way that I can, but are you sure that this will actually get you to meet the big boss and not some stooge.” Phryne gently asked, placing a hand in the crook of his arm.   
“I can’t but it's the closest I’ve gotten.”   
“Do you think that this is safe to do this as well just to meet a drug dealer down some back alley.”  
“The more you speak, the more you make my plan sound stupid.” Sasha bashfully sighed.  
“What if we go with you, stay at a distance and see what happens and then we can help you find him, you know that Phryne used to do this sort of thing back in England and I’m sure we can get your sister Justice.” Victor kindly offered and Sasha nodded shyly.   
“So where and when is this meeting with the King of Snow,” Phryne asked.   
“In half an hour, at a pharmacy in an alley down by the promenade.”  
“We’ll go with you, find a place to hide and can arrange to have a backup car waiting.”   
“I’d already arranged with two cabbies to help us get home and I can’t see why they wouldn’t be willing to wait around for us for a few extra bob although we might want to change first so that we blend in a bit better,” Phryne suggested and led the man out to the cab where Ces and Burt were waiting. 

The revolutionaries took a bit of convincing and 2 pounds before they agreed that it was what good communists should do, to stop these monsters from profiting off the vulnerable. Phryne and Victor dressed up in some old clothes that she quickly battered up and in all honesty, she looked like a floozy and Victor a regular john. They should blend in on the promenade quite well which was the exact reason that they had kept the clothes, it was useful for both investigating and for a fun night out on a different side of town. 

Ces and Burt took them down to the promenade and they got out of the cabs about 10 minutes from the pharmacy. They set themselves up well. Phryne and Victor hid in an enclave that they could just about see the pharmacy from and quickly made themselves look like a couple. While Sasha followed by a few minutes later and walked straight into the pharmacy with no tact and asked for some cocaine. Phryne could see it going wrong before it did, and Victor dropped his head on to Phryne’s shoulder and sighed, Sasha was not skilled at this. As expected he was immediately dragged out the back but the stupid boy ran the wrong way. She bit her lip and held Victor tighter to her as a gunshot ran out and they both shuddered, running after he was the worst thing that they could do even if they both grabbed hold of their guns. Counting the seconds hoping that they would soon see Sasha. After what felt like an eternity Sasha stumbled through the fog and Victor grabbed him and pulled him behind them covering him fully with his and Phryne’s embracing body. The two thugs ran past and the couple was able to drag the wounded man back to the cab and get him into their hotel room. 

Phryne kindly stitched the young man back up; it was only a graze and with a couple of stitches and a bandage it should be safe without further medical attention although Phryne would be checking on it over the coming days. With his wound stitched Victor pounced on Sasha and began kissing him passionately, it had been a while since Victor had known the touch of a man. They couldn’t indulge on the passage over and it was something that he very much enjoyed, Phryne knew that this would be an amazing night.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really enjoying writing this and am planning on doing the entire show with the plots eventually diverging, hopefully the final chapter for this should be up within a few days. Please leave comments they really make my day, have a Good Plague people.


End file.
